Creator Alan Ball is stepping down from the HBO hit as showrunner and moving into a less demanding role as executive producer. The network announced this move back in February, insisting it was always the intention after season five for him to shift away from the everyday showrunner duties on True Blood. "True Blood has been, and will continue to be, a highlight of not only my career but my life," Ball said.

In this video that aired before the finale, Ball thanked the TB fans and even admitted a little secret about his work on the series. "I have to admit when I first started working on this show, the passion of some of the fans kind of scared me," he says. "But after five years, I live for it."